Stories from Another Place
by Feneris
Summary: A basic collection of drabbles and one-shots setting the vocaloids into various fantasy and sci-fi settings. Mostly incomplete ideas that never grew into larger stories.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Vocaloid or any associated characters or settings. **

A Legend in the Writing

Everyone knew the Gate Capitan's daughter was cursed. They said it was an affliction passed down from the girl's barbarian mother. All it took was one wrong word, one careless action, one perceived slight against her, and the only warning anyone would have would be her eyes suddenly turning red. In an instant the normally well behaved girl would turn into a berserk lunatic capable of crushing a man's bones. Upon calming down from the rage, the girl would remember nothing of the event except a red haze that seemed to creep across her vision. The staff of the palace called it Red Rage, and every person in the Imperial Palace learned to watch their steps around the woman. She was one of the best swordsmen in the castle, and could easily take down grown men of twice her size and experience.

Meiko was easily the single most dangerous person in the Palace, and everyone knew it.

xXx

When the Head Cook's children had first learned to crawl, they vanished the moment their mother took her eyes off them. They were found four hours later in the Empress's bedchambers, a journey spanning half the palace, two flights of stairs, and numerous guards, all of whom saw nothing. From the moment they learned to walk, they were busy getting into places people did not want them to be. Locks, moats, traps, high walls, vicious dogs, and eagle-eyed guards merely slowed the twin troublemakers down, and never once had they been caught. The guards always responded by tightening security in the vain hope of catching the tricksters, while the aging Emperor boasted up and down that his palace was the single most secure place in the world because of it.

There was not a vault in the world that could stand up to Rin and Len Kagamine.

xXx

When the Steward's daughter first learned to sing, her tutors praised her as a prodigy. Her voice was strong and pure, able to turn the most poorly written song into a masterpiece. When she sung songs of tragedy she moved the audience to tears, when she sung songs of happiness it always lifted ones' heart, and when she sung songs of horror even the bravest of souls felt the sudden urge to go hide under their bed. It was more than music though. People danced to her call, falling to their knees in vain hopes of impressing her and hung onto her every word as if it came from the gods themselves. Folks tried to break into the Imperial Palace just to hear her sing, and even the Emperor himself could be swayed by her words.

There was magic in Miku Hatsune's voice, though no one knew it, not even Miku.

xXx

There is a statue in the gardens that surround the Imperial Palace. It is the image of a spirit, which had been plundered from the northern lands. One day, the Caretaker's son made an offering of iced cream to the statue as a joke. The offering pleased the spirit, who appeared to the boy and revealed to him the secrets of magic. The boy embraced this new knowledge wholly. Blessings, curses, cures, enchantments, conjurations, he learned them all. The elements bent to his will, and the worldly energies flowed to his command. The Imperial Archmage of the palace scoffed at the boy's skill, writing it off as merely sloppy, spirit powered children's tricks. Those who knew the boy would be quick to disagree however.

Kaito was a strong and focused mage, and despite what the Archmage said, every ounce of power he used came directly from himself.

xXx

There was an odd sort of friendship between the five of them. Meiko, being the oldest, had appointed herself the designated 'big sister' of the group, and was constantly looking out for everyone, and no one dared argue with her decisions for fear of her curse. Kaito seemed to jump from being the group's source of laughs, to being the stand-by guardian whenever Meiko was incapitated. Miku simply got along with everyone and seemed to have settled into the role as the group's peacekeeper, a role that took on great importance with the discovery that her singing could bring Meiko out of a rage. Rin and Len fell under the collective wings of the group, and were always listening for the latest news, gossip, or targets that looked like they might be a challenge.

The Imperial Palace had been the place they had grown up, the place where their parents lived and worked, the place where they had each perfected their respective skills, and the place that was most interested in putting those skills to work. Their past, present, and future seemed inevitably linked with the Empire and the Imperial family.

The will of the Gods is a strange thing however, and not a single mortal alive can claim to know it in its entirety. The means of the Gods are also vast, and they often influence the mortal world in ways that are entirely unexpected.

xXx

Dragon attacks were not unknown to the people of the Empire. The dragons occasionally emerged from their remote hideouts and terrorized settlements for various reasons. Sometimes it was hunger, in which the dragons would attack the herders and their livestock. Other times it was greed, which resulted in the dragons carrying off loads of gold, valuable artworks, or other treasures. Occasionally it was vengeance, the previous Emperor had even outlawed dragon hunting due to the fact the practice simply caused more attacks. Most dragon hunters never made it back anyway. A dragon was a tough and highly intelligent creature. Its armoured scales could defect arrows and swords, its breath produced fire hot enough to melt steel, and one blow from its claws could topple a tower. Most people didn't even realize how intelligent dragons were. They were perfectly capable of understanding human speech and even speaking it, they could plan ahead and strategize as well as any human, and some of the eldest dragons were rumoured to know magic. But aside from the attacks, the dragons preferred to hide away in their remote sanctuaries, and even the rashest dragon would think twice about assaulting the heartlands of the Empire, and the great legions which guarded them.

Scar however, was not like most dragons. A large five pronged gash ran across his face giving him his name, and the people of the mountains were always on the lookout for him. He was ambitious and bold. He would attack the mountain farmers and devour entire herds of cattle in a single raid. Merchant caravans coming through the passes would be ambushed and slaughtered, their hard earned riches joining Scar's growing horde. His attacks were always carefully planned and executed with such precision that the surprised victims didn't even have time to grab their bows before he was on them.

One night however, he left his mountain cave and began to venture towards the Empire's heartlands. He was careful, making sure to hide himself in the daylight, and only taking to the skies on nights when the moon and stars were hidden. He ignored the small towns he passed, and when he was hungry he contented himself with a wayward lamb or a stray cow whose disappearance would not be unexpected. Secrecy and surprise was going to be his greatest ally when he struck.

In one night the riches of the Imperial City would be his.

In one night, he would destroy the entire city. In one night, he would destabilize the entire region. In one night he would start the downfall of one of the greatest empires the world had known. In one night he would change the destinies of five people forever.

_Authors Note: Having seen many pictures of the vocaloids as a fantasy adventure party. I decided to try my hand at making a fanfic for it. _

_Admittedly I am secretly hoping someone will read this and decide they can do better. In which case I wish them the best of luck. _


	2. The Spirits

**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Vocaloid or any associated characters or settings. **

**Spirits**

There are many spirits in the world. Each one is unique in habits, powers, domains, and origins. Some spirits are born from the shells of a mortal life, who, through ether divine agency, supernatural exposure, or pure luck have been transformed into supernatural beings. Some spirits are embodiments of natural forces or beings and posses great power over their natural domain, while others merely wander the world, indulging in their personal pleasures and joys.

While the powers of a spirit vary, nearly all of them posses supernatural strength, speed, and knowledge. It is the rare mortal that is able to best a spirit in any of those areas, and those few who do, inevitably earn either the spirits respect or anger. However, most, but not all sprits are forbidden from entering a home uninvited, and will be forced to leave if told to by the residents. Such an action is unwise however, as it does nothing to protect one from the spirit's inevitable anger. Rituals and charms may also be used to nullify a spirit's powers and gain some control over it. This power should not be abused, and anyone seeking to gain dominion over a spirit will always face terrible punishment ether from the enslaved spirit once it is free, or from another spirit who happens to intervene.

Above all else, it is important to not to attract a sprits anger. While there are spirits that take delight to being annoyances, and sometimes even deadly dangers, it is important that one not loose there temper and insult the spirits. Instead it is best to please them, often with gifts the spirits enjoy, and in doing so will at the very least divert some of the negative attention away from oneself, and avoid angering the spirit at the same time. Keep in mind this doesn't always work. Trickster spirits especially will often haunt an entity for years, usually with annoying, yet usually harmless jokes and pranks. Because the spirits see these actions as merely good fun, it will not occur to them that someone might want them gone. They will leave if berated or insulted however, but their inevitable rebuttals are rarely worth the reprieve.

In the end, knowledge is the best tool one can have when dealing with the supernatural. Only by correctly identifying a spirit, can one know what it takes to both please the spirit, and avoid angering it. While the true number of spirits is beyond imagining, I have nevertheless listed several spirits that are commonly encountered by mortals, and included along with them, several ways in which one may deal with said spirit.

**Miku Hatsune:**

Miku Hatsune is a spirit of song and singing. She frequently appears as a young woman with sea green hair tied up into two long pigtails. Her music is indescribably beautiful and is said to be strong enough to make mortals forget all about the world around them. Out of all the known spirits, this one is the most pleasant to have around. While her singing is often blamed for crashed ships, the sailors reportedly being so distracted they run aground, she is more likely to linger around mortals and sing songs to ease their life. A song to comfort when one is grieving; a song to refresh when one works hard, even a song to mourn when a loved one dies. She even does requests. Miku can be persuaded to stay by a gift of leeks or green onions, whichever one is most readily at hand. However, if this gentle spirit is ever insulted or angered, her wrath can be most unpleasant. The few unfortunate souls who have experienced her anger say she makes the milk go sour, shatters the windows, and keeps the entire family awake night after night by sending them nightmares. It takes a lot of leeks to appease Miku if she every gets that mad.

**Haku Yowane**

Haku Yowane is universally regarded as the bane of innkeepers everywhere. Originally she was a mortal woman whose lover abandoned her for a famous singer. Feeling like she could never live up to her lover's new partner, she proceeded to drink herself to death. A passing spirit took pity on her and, after extracting revenge on the lover on behalf of Haku, transformed the girl into a spirit. Unfortunately, Haku's newfound immortality did little to change her outlook on life. Haku appears as a young woman with pale red eyes and silver hair tied back in a low pony tail. She most often haunts inns, pubs, and taverns, where she proceeds to drink up the entire supply of liquor and keep the patrons awake with constant crying. More liquor will not solve the problem. The only way to deal with the spirit is to approach her yourself and request that she sing. Thankfully, while she is not the best voice in the world, she is by no means a bad singer. Keep in mind that this will not make her leave, just stop her from drinking up all the booze. However, should anyone criticize her singing in any way, you'll be right back to square one. Thankfully, Haku is not the vengeful type, and most can count on her leaving once she has drunk up the entire stock of alcohol. But, gods help you if anyone compares her to Miku Hatsune. You'll never be rid of her.

**Neru Akita:**

Neru is a spirit of communication. More specifically, she delights in messing with ones correspondence and mixing up signals. When seen, Neru typically appears as a girl dressed in grey and yellow, with long gold hair drawn up into a single ponytail on one side of her head. These instances are rare however, as Neru prefers to do her mischief out of sight. Usually she intercepts letters, and ether censors them to the point of illegibility or tacks on rude footnotes. She does not limit herself to just letters however, and has been known to put out signal fires, doodle on signing flags, get messenger birds drunk, alter road markers, and cut holes in the bottom of courier bags. Thankfully this spirit is as uncreative as she is lazy. It is thus very easy to tell when any form of communication is being tampered with by her. Usually, the problem of driving her away never comes up, as she is usually gone by the time anyone gets fed up enough to do anything about her. She is also, thankfully, one of the milder spirits and when angered will vent her frustrations by scrawling rude messages onto the side of ones house. You do not want to know what she does to those who have no house to write on.

**Len and Rin Kagamine:**

Len and Rin are trickster spirits, and delight to performing various jokes on people, ranging from harmless pranks, to dangerous and deadly traps and illusions. They most often appear as a twin pair of blonde children: a girl with a large bow in her hair, and a boy with his hair drawn back in a small tail. Most of their jokes are thankfully harmless, ranging from things such as a small signs on ones back, dumping snow down the back of ones shirt, or running ones undergarments up a flag pole. However, against particularly humourless people, their jokes take on a distinctly malicious edge. Many have been ether tricked out of all their material possessions, or humiliated and discredited in their community. No one is safe from their trickery ether; a western Emperor once embarrassed himself before his entire empire when Rin and Len, disguised as merchants, sold him clothes that only he could see. They are also particularly fond of mirrors, and will often hide within them in order to facilitate some of their jokes. If one looks in their mirror and is mocked by their reflection, it is likely Rin and Len at work. These two are always fond of a good joke, so long as it is not at their expense, and often aid local pranksters if they find the joke particularly original. Their favour can also be gain by an offering of fresh fruit, particularly bananas and oranges, if they are insulted or berated however, they very likely to seek some manner of revenge. Their favourite form of vengeance is to lure young children into the woods with promises of candy and then allow them to get lost. If one somehow manages to make these two a victim of a joke, then they will face Rin and Len's vengeance in its purest. While there is no actual record of someone being able to successfully put a joke on these two spirits, legends say that Len will cut off your arms in retaliation, and Rin then plants them in her garden.

**Meiko:**

Meiko is a spirit of festivities, celebrations, and any occasion where there is a lot of alcohol being passed around. She frequently appears as a brown haired woman with vivid red eyes, dressed in scarlet. Meiko enjoys festivals and celebrations and frequently shows up at such events to partake in both the alcohol and the company. She is notorious for her ability to drink even other spirits under the table, and any at any festival she attends in good humour, the jugs are said to never run dry and the weather will always be ideal. It is even said that she possess influence over Kaito, the spirit of winter, and can delay or hasten the coming of the snow if she so wishes. She is also known for luring away young people, where according to legends she eats them. However, anyone who has ever been lured away by Meiko is usually found the next day, hungover and in a very embarrassing situation. Personally inviting Meiko to any celebration you host is a sure fire way to win her favour, and failing to invite her is a certain way to earn her ire. If angered, she will show up at your festivity anyway, drink all the liquor, offend all the guests, insure the worst weather possible, and regale your in-laws with tales of your drunken exploits. Believe me; she'll know all of them too. If she is really pissed off at someone, she is surprisingly direct, and will usually seek vengeance by stabbing the offender to death with a broken bottle.

**Kaito:**

Kaito is the spirit of winter, snow, and all that is cold and frozen. His power is tied to winter and he gains strength in the fall, and wanes in the spring. He appears to mortals as a man with blue hair who wears a heavy white coat and a blue scarf. During winter, his power is great enough that he can enter a home uninvited and no rite or spell will have power over him. As a seasonal spirit, anything that is lost during his season is his to claim, this could be anything from a trinket lost under the snow, to crops that have taken the brunt of the early frost, to even animals that have frozen to death. Those that have met him, describe him as a surprisingly cheerful and friendly entity. He even goes so far as to actively help mortals he has taken a liking to, oftentimes giving them gifts he has claimed in seasons past. His favour can be gained by an offering of iced cream, preferably mixed with powdered vanilla. However, he is also one spirit you do not want to make mad. His anger is inevitable, and there is nothing that can protect you from it. If he is ticked, he will smash windows, extinguish the fire, and cover your front step with an ice slick. If he is really mad, he will call down avalanches, summon blizzards, and bring in temperatures cold enough to freeze a person solid. If he is well and truly pissed off, he will come for you himself and your death will be long and cold.

**Luka Megurine:**

Luka is the spirit of the oceans, fishermen, sea traders, and creatures of the deep. She frequently appears to mortals in one of two forms. One is that of a woman with long pink hair, the other an octopus with a female face. Luka is most often found swimming in the ocean and is occasionally caught up in fishermen's nets. If such a thing happens, it is best to quickly cut her free and give her part of your catch as compensation. Do not get any ideas, they will never work. While it is unknown whether she can enter a home uninvited, she can climb aboard ships and wander about as she pleases. It is also impossible to control Luka with spells and rituals so long as she is near the water, and as the spirit of the ocean, Luka has the right to anything that is lost to the depths of the sea. Occasionally she can be persuaded to return objects of sentimental value, but such a service will often require a heavy price. Favour can be achieved with Luka through an offering of specially prepared fish, especially tuna. Seafarers are particularly wary of incurring Luka's wrath, as such actions will not only bring misfortune to the unfortunate soul who made the mistake, but also to any ship they happen to be on. If merely annoyed, Luka will content herself with nailing the source of the annoyance with a large fish. If she is angered she will call up storms, knock holes in the hulls of ships, and summon the creatures of the deep to the surface. If one does something to bring about her complete wrath however, they instead die in their beds, their lungs filled with sea water.

**Gumi:**

Gumi is the sprit of gardens and growing plants. She a natural spirit and feels a great tie to places of lush vegetation and greenery. While she is not an agricultural spirit, she is partially concerned with the growing of both fields and small vegetable gardens. She frequently appears as a young woman with short green hair, who wears a pair of goggles on her forehead and dresses in orange. She delights in any vibrant green space and will reward the tender of such a space with by aiding them in their work personally, or by the giving of enchanted tools of superior quality. Gumi's favour can be gained through an offering of vegetables, particularly carrots. Any person deciding to a green space is guaranteed her support, and anyone seeking to damage such a space is guaranteed her wrath. If angered, Gumi will cause roots to break apart walkways, block out windows with growing vines, and cause poisonous plants to grow in the well. The act of salting a field or deliberately poisoning any garden in any way is such an insult to Gumi that she will go so far as to call in favours from other spirits, in order to ensure a suitably punishing revenge.

**Gakupo:**

Gakupo is a spirit of warriors, dancers, and honour. Out of all the spirits known, he is the most direct in his actions, often approaching and interacting with mortals himself. Gakupo appears as a man with long purple hair, wearing a white robe, and carrying a katana sheathed at his hip. Gakupo follows a strict code of honour, the tenets of which are unknown to all but himself, and while he does not attempt to spread this code around, he mostly involves himself with those who have broken their own moral code, or at least acts without any regard for honour. If Gakupo observes someone commit a dishonourable act, he will usually approach the person and challenge them to a duel. If they refuse on the grounds of not being a warrior, he challenges them to a dance-off instead. It is very unwise to refuse ether challenge, even if your defeat is certain, for Gakupo will curse any who refuse what he sees as an honourable challenge. Thankfully, unless the transgression is particularly grave, nether the duels or the dance-offs are to the death, and in the likely case that one does loose, they will be left with the dubious shame of having lost to a spirit. If one does win, they will earn both the spirits respect and forgiveness for whatever dishonourable action he was pursuing them for. Gakupo shows favour on both skilled dancers and honourable warriors and will reward those he sees as worthy examples of their respective professions. Gakupo's favour can be earned with a gift of eggplants, though great care must be taken so that the spirit does not see them as a bribe. If one has committed a particularly amoral and evil act, than Gakupo may challenge the perpetrator to a duel to the death. Such a challenge is weighted heavily in his favour, as he cannot die, especially by any means known to mortals, and he will strike down anyone who refuses. So ether way, you're screwed.

_Authors Note: Yes, this did used to be called "A Legend in the Writing." As I never got past the introduction however, I decided to turn this into a collection of one-shots and drabbles I do. In any case I would appreciate any critique people can give me on my ideas._

_What I mainly hope to accomplish with these is actually to inspire someone to do something better and hopefully more complete. If you do try, I wish you the best of luck._

_Also, if anyone has any setting ideas they want me to adapt to the vocaloid fandom, just ask… I am eager for a challenge._


End file.
